Ignition-system control



W. A. CHRYST IGNITION SYSTEM CONTROL Filed May 9, 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 W. A. CHRYST IGNITION SYSTEM CONTROL July 15 Filed May 9. 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 15 1924.

w. A. CHRYST IGNITION SYSTEM CONTROL Filed May 9, 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 July 15, 1924. 1,501,518

W. A. CHRYST IGNITION SYSTEM CONTROL Filed May 9, 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 & lulubmmllmii I I Patented July 15, 1324.

LABORATORIES COMPANY, A COMORATION OF 00.

IGNITION-SYSTEM CQNTROL.

Application filed may 9, 1919. Serial 130. 295,882.

To all whomz't may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. (harm, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Dayton, county of Montgomery, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ignition-System Controls, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention ielates to ignition systems for internal-combustion engines, and more particularly to ignition systems which in clude devices for producing either single sparking impulses or a shower of sparks to provide ignition for the engine.

It is among the objects of the present invention to control the single spark device and the shower of sparks device so that, when the ignition is timed advanta eously for starting, the shower of sparks device will be brought automatically into operation to provide sparking impulses for the starting operation.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein preferred embodiments of the present invention are clearly shown.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the system, showing the electrical connections between the diflerent devices of the system, when adjusted to provide single spark ignition.

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view similar to F i 1, showing the system arranged to provi e spark shower ignition.

Fig. 2 is a reduced plan view of the ignition unit included in the system, the head, distributor and timer elements being omitted for the sake of clearness.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the unit shown in Fig. 2, the head however being shown in position.

Fig. 4 is a full size section of the i nition unit taken along the line 44 in ig. 3. Certain circuit controlling devices are not shown for the sake of clearness.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the vibrator removed from the ignition unit. The cover for the vibrator is shown in section.

Fig. (Sis a fragmentary section of the distributor unit.

a head 23, including distributing elements and an ignition coil.

The supporting base 21 is provided with a flange 24, having a series of openings 25 adapted to receive bolts or screws for fastening the ignition unit to the engine. Two oppositely disposed flanges 26 and 27 are formed on the base 21, and provide bearing surfaces for the rotatable timer cup 22.

This cup 22 has concentric flanges 28 and 29, which form retainers for the upper and lower bearings 30 and 31, said bearings supporting a shaft 32, upon which is mounted a cam 33. The shaft 32 is adapted to be driven by the engine, the method of connection being fully described and illustrated in the co-pendin application of William A. Chryst and gohn H. Hunt, Serial No. 208,369, filed December 22, 1917.

The cam 33, carried by the shaft 32. has a series of lobes 34 which are adapted to cooperate with a'plurality of breaker arms 35, 36 and 37, for reasons hereinafter set forth. As seen in Fig. 4, these lobes 34 on the cam 33 are so arranged that the breaker arms 35 and 37 will operate at asymmetrically occurring intervals to break the prima ignition circuit at asymmetricall occurring intervals whereby to provide 1 nition for an en ine having asymmetrical ring order.

ets of contacts 38, 39 and 40 comprising movable and stationary contacts are associated with each of said breaker arms 35, 36 and 37, respectively, and are adapted to act as circuit interrupters for providing sparking impulses when the en ine is in operation. However, as is fully il ustrated, described and claimed in copending application referred to above, the contacts 39 are connected with a resistance element 41, and contacts 39 and resistance 41 may be together connected in parallel with contacts 38 and 40. When the engine is operated in a reverse direction, the relative osition of the breaker arm 36 to the cam obes 34 is such as to time the breaking of the contacts 39 that he resistance element 41 will be connected in the primary ignition circuit before contacts 38 and 40 open, thereby tending to destroy the effect of the contacts 38 and 40 to produce sparking impulses.

Provision is also made on the shaft 31, for mounting the rotor 42 which is adapted to distribute the sparking impulses to the various cylinders through the terminals 43. As shown in the Figs. 1 and 4, the stationary contacts 43 and 43 are so arranged that the leading edges, or the edges first contacted by the rotor, are asymmetrically arranged to provide non-symmetrical distribution of the sparking impulses when the engine is in operation. However, to meet the objects of the present invention, the alternate contacts 43 are so formed that the distances between the .adjacent edges of the contacts 43 and 43 are equal.

A lever 44 1s secured to the timer cup 22, by which the cup may be rotated on the base 21 to secure difierent adjustments as described hereinafter. In order to yielding ly maintain the timer cup in any position in which it is rotated on the base, there is provided a stud 45 secured to the cup 22. A spring 46 is inserted between a cup 47 carried by the stud 45, and the flange 27 of base 21, causing friction and thereby tendingtto hold the cup in position.

eferring to the Fig. 5, there is shown a vibrator element 50 including a winding 51 having a core 52. This core is carried by a frame 53 forming the magnetic field of this magnet. Movable armature 54 is provided being fulcrumed at the pin 55 on the plate 56. A spring element 57 having one end secured to the armature and the other secured to the plate 56 tends to draw the armature away from the ends of the magnet field 53. However, an adjustable stop 58 holds this armature within a redetermined distance from the magnetic eld. A movable contact 59 is carried by and insulated from the plate 56 and is associated with a stationary contact 60 also carried by the plate 56. This stationary contact 60 is so arranged that it may be adjusted relative to the movable contact 59. The movable contact 59 has its outer end projecting beneath the armature 54 so that when said armature it attracted by the m agnetic field 53, the contacts 59 "and 60 will be broken. A removable cover 61 is adapted to fit over this vibrator tending to keep out dust and dirt which is detrimental to the efficient operation of a device of this sort.

Referring to the Fig. 3 of the drawings, the base 21 carries a plurality of stationary contacts 63, 64, 65, 66 and 67, which are embedded in a non-conducting segment 68 secured to the base in any suitable manner. A set of movable contacts 69, 70 and 71 is carried by the timer cup 22. said contacts being adapted to be brought into and out of engagement with the different stationary contacts for purposes which will be fully described hereinafter.

Referring to Fig. 1, 9O designates an internal combustion engine of the V type having two rows of cylinders arranged at an angle, cylinder 91 being a cylinder in one row and cylinder 92 being a cylinder in the other row. For purpose of illustration, it is understood that cylinder 92 is -ust ahead, in firing order, of cylinder 91. istons 93 and 94 reciprocate in cylinders 91 and 92 respectively and are connected, by means of rods 95 and 96 respectively, with the crank arms 97 and 98 respectively of the crank shaft 99. Cylinder 91 is rovided with a spark plug 84 connected by wire 83 with a distributor contact 43. Cylinder 92 is provided with a spark plug 86' connected by a wire with a distributor contact 43*. It will be noted that contact 43* will be engaged by the rotor 42 just ahead of the contact 43. In Fig. 1 the ignition system is diagrammatically shown in a condition such that the primary ignition circuit is about to be broken and a sparking impulse is about to be delivered to spark plug 84 when the piston 93 is at the upper dead center position. It will be noted that the lever 44, for shifting the timer cup, is located on the center line As will be seen in the Fig. 1, the distributor head and cup may be shifted from center line in which position the contacts 38 and 40 will be separated when the piston 93 is on upper dead center, to either extreme angles of advance or retard, A and B respectively. The angle C shows the angle of normal retard.

When the operator desires to start the engine. he opens the switch 72, if not already open, and then turns the engine over a few times for the purpose of suckin explosive charges into the cylinders. A ter these few revolutions of the crank shaft, theengine is rocked to the dead center position, which will bring one of the pistons, (for purpose of illustration, the piston 93) in its extreme upward travel. With the distributor cup in a position where the lever 44 will be aligned with the line Fig. 1, the ignition unit would be capable of deliveringa sparking impulse to this aforementioned cylinder when said piston is in the position referred to.

In firing a cylinder whose piston is at the upper dead center, it is found that the impact on the piston will sometimes start the engine in a reverse direction. In order to overcome this, the circuit. connections are rearranged so that the engine controlled timer is rendered inoperative and the vibrator 50 is rendered operative to produce a shower of sparks, and the distribution of sparking impulses is changed into which the piston 94 has alread so that instead of the cylinder 91 receiving ignition, the distribution of the spark shower will be made to the cylinder 92 which is ahead, in firingorder, of the cylinder 91. That is, this rearrangement is brought about by shifting the lever 44 over the center line ww through the angle B. The relative positions of the lever and the parts connected therewith are shown in Fig. 1. The movement of-the lever 44 through the angle B has shifted the contact 43 from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 1 in which the contact 43 will be in engagement with the rotor 42, while the contact 43, which normally would be in,engagement with the rotor 42 at this articular time in the cycle of engine operations, has been moved awa out of enga ement with the rotor 42. t is evident t en that all distribution of sparking impulses will be made to the spark plug 86 to provide ignition in cylinderd92 escended part way from the upper dea center osition.

e arrows 42, 33 and 99 designate respectively the direction of rotation of the distributor rotor 42, the cam 33 and the crank shaft 99 of the engine 90.

Now when the o erator has made all the adjustments descri ed above, he closes the switch 72, thereby closing a circuit which will permit current to flow from the positive side of the battery 73, through wire 4, primary winding of the ignition coil, wire 76, movable contact 70, stationary contact 66, wire 77, winding 51 of vibrator 50, wire 78, contact 59, contact 60, and back to the battery 7 3 via ground connections 80. The condenser circuit in shunt with contacts 59 and 60 includes wire 79, stationary contact 64, movable contact 69, condenser 100 and ground connection 80. It will of course be understood that as soon as the circuit is broken at 59 and 60, the magnet becomes deenergized, permitting the contacts 59 and 60 to be brought together, thereby completing the circuit through the winding 51. This operation will intermittently make and break the circuit through the primary winding 75 of the coil, thereby causing a plurality of impulses to be generated in the high tension windin 81 of the ignition 0011, which are distributed to spark plug 86 in cylinder 92 via wire 82, rotor 42, stationary contact 43 and wire-85.

As soon as the engine has become selfoperating, the operator shifts the lever 44 from the maximum retard position to a position within the angles A and C, dependin on the degree of advance or retard desire for engine running, thereby causing brushes 69 and 70 to be disconnected from the contacts 64 and 66, and thereby bringing the lever 44 is shown in Fig. 1. The brushes 69 and 70 as well as the brush 71, which has been out of operation in the previous position, will be brought into engagement with the stationary contacts 63, 65 and 67, closing the circuit between the battery 73 and interrupter contacts 38, 39 and 40. The condenser 100 willalso be connected in parallel with contacts 38, 39 and 40. Thus one condenser is used to assist the engine controlled timer contacts in breaking the ignition primary circuit as well as to assist the vibrator contacts.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that the present system of control may advantageously be used in connection with multicylinder internal-combustion engines and more particularly with engines used in aero work.- In starting engines where no system of this ty e is used it is the eneral practice to have tie pilot manipuate the controls while the attendant turns over the engine by means of either a crank or propeller which, sometimes proves very dangerous to the attendant if the engine back fires or unexpectedly starts. However, when a system of control is used as referred to in the present invention, the pilot may readily start the engine without the aid of an attendant. By using this system he may turn the engine over, without ignition turned on, for sucking in the explosive charge, and then resume his place at the controls, from which it is possible to finish the starting operation by shifting the lever 44 and then closing the ignition switch 72.

It will be understood that cylinder 91 is any cylinder in one of the rows of cylinders of engine and-that cylinder 92 is the cyl inder in the other row of engine cylinders which fires just ahead of cylinder 91 in regular firing order.

While the forms of mechanisms herein shown and described constitute a preferred form of embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What I claim is as follows:

1. In an ignition system for internal-combustion engines, the combination with an engine; a source of current, an ignition coil and a timer; of a device cooperating with said source of current and coil for producing ,a shower of sparks; and a controlling element for adjusting the timing of the ignition and for rendering either the shower spark producing device or the timer operative to control the passage of current from the current source to the coil.

2. In an ignition system for internal-combustion engines, the combination with an engine, a source of current, an ignition coil, and a timer; of an electromagnetically opvibrator out of operation. Such position oferated vibrator for providing a shower of sparks; and a controlling element for adjusting the timing of the sparking impulses and for bringing either the timer or the vibrator into operation to control the passage of current from the battery to the coil.

3. An ignition system comprising a current source; means cooperating with said source for producing a small number of sparking impulses or a relatively large number of sparking impulses; and means for delivering the first said impulses to each of a plurality of cylinders during compression strokes therein in the normal operation of the engine and for delivering the large number of sparking impulses to the cylinders during expansion strokes therein when starting the engine.

4. In an ignition device for a multicylinder engine, a distributor adapted to deliver sparking impulses to either of two successive cylinders in firing order; means for supplying a sparking impulse to one of said cylinders during normal operation of the engine;and means for supplying a shower of sparking impulses throtwh the distributor to the cylinder ahead in firing order during starting of the engine.

5. An ignition system for a multicylinder engine comprising a current source; means cooperating therewith for producing a sparking impulse; means cooperating with said source for producing a shower of sparking impulses; and means for distributing the sparking impulses from the first said means to the engine cylinders during normal operation thereof or from the second said means to a cylinder preceding the one to be fired during normal operation.

6. In an ignition system for internal-coup bustion engines, the combination with a multicylinder engine; of an ignition coil; a current source; an engine operated timer for controlling the passage of current to said coil; other means for controlling the passage of current to said coil; a distributor; and means for advancing or retarding said timer and movable to a predetermined position to render the timer inoperative and said-other means operative and to change the distribution of sparking impulses produced b said coil so that ignition will be provide in a cylinder which is ahead, in firing order, of the cylinder which normally should receive ignition at that particular time in the cycle of engine operations.

7. In an ignition system for internal-combustion engines, the combination with an engine, a source of current, an ignition coil and a timer; primary and secondary circuits including timing and distributing devices, respectively; of a vibrator adapted to be connected in the primary circuit for providing a shower of sparks; and a controlling element for adjusting the timer and distributor and adapted to render the timer inoperative and the vibrator operative while adjusting the distributor to give retarded distribution of the sparking impulses.

8. In an ignition system for internal-combustion engines, the combination with a multicylinder engine; of a source of current; an induction coil primary and secondary circuits including timing and distributing devices respectively; a vibrator adapted to be connected in the primary circuit for providing a shower of sparks; and a controlling element, operable for adjusting the timer and for bringing the vibrator into operation to provide a shower of sparks and at the same time rendering the timer inoperative, and for adjusting the distributor so as to deliver sparking impulses to the cylinder preceding the one ready to fire in regular sequence of firing order.

9. In an ignition system for internal-combustion engines, the combination with a multicylinder engine having a non-symmetrical firing order; of a source of current; a vibrator, an ignition coil, primary and secondary circuits including timing and distributing devices, respectively, and adapted to provide ignition in non-symmetrical sequence; and a controlling element operable for adjusting the timer to an inoperative position, and for bringing the vibrator into operation to provide a shower of sparks and at the same time adjusting the distributor so as to deliver sparking impulses to the cylinder preceding the one ready to fire in regular sequence of firin order.

10. In an ignition system for internalcombustion engines, the combination with an engine having non-symmetrical firing order; of a source of current; a vibrator, an ignition coil; a primary circuit including a timing device; a secondar circuit including a distributing device having contacts with equal spacin therebetween and adapted to provide spar ing impulses; and a controlling element operable for adjustin the timer to an inoperative position, an for bringing the vibrator into operation to provide a shower of sparks and at the same time adjusting the distributor so as to deliver sparking impulses to the cylinder preceding the one ready to fire in regular sequence of firing order.

11. In an ignition system for internalcombustion engines, the combination with an engine having non-symmetrical firing order; of a source of current; a vibrator, an ignition coil; a primary circuit including a timing device; a secondary circuit includ ing a distributing device having contacts with the leading edges thereof non-symmetrically arranged and with equal spacing therebetween and adapted to provide for the distributing of sparking impulses in a non-symmetrical s uence; and a controlling element opera 1e for rendering the timer inoperative, and for brin ing the vibrator into operation to provi e a shower of sparks and at the same time adjusting the distributor so as to deliver sparking impulses to the cylinder preceding the one ready to fire in regular seouence of firing order.

12. In an ignition system for internalcombustion engines, the combination with an engine; of a source of current; an ignition coil; a single spark device including timer contacts carried by a rotatable contact supporting member; a shower of sparks device; a controlling means for actuating the contact supporting member to either advance or retard the time of sparking impulses; circuit controllin devices operated by said supporting mem er, whereby when said member is actuated to a full spark retard ing position the shower of sparks device will be brought into operation.

13. In an ignition system for internalcombustion engines, the combination with an engine; of a source of current; an ignition coil; a single spark device including timer contacts carried by a rotatable contact supporting member; a shower of sparks device; a controlling means for actuating the contact supporting member to either advance or retard the time of sparking impulses; circuit controlling devices operated by said supported member, whereby when said member is actuated to a full spark retarding position, the single spark devices will be rendered inoperative and the shower of sparks device made operable.

14. In an ignition system for internalcombustion engines, the combination with an engine; of an i nition unit including a stationary base an rotatable housing and head; a source of current; an ignition coil; primary and secondary circuits including a single spark timing device and a' distributing device respectively; a shower of sparks device; controlling means adapted to actuate the housing to advance or retard the time of sparking im ulses; stationary contacts carried by the base; movable contacts carried by the housing and'so associated with the stationary contacts as to render the single spark device inoperative and make the shower' of sparks device operable when the controlling means is actuated to fully retard the time of sparking impulses.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM A. CHRYST. Witnesses:

MILDRED PEARE, HAZEL SOLLENBERGER. 

